


Live

by athyra



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, But still contain canon elements, F/F, Hina-centric I suppose, but with boppin flair, life and death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 01:32:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18539563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/athyra/pseuds/athyra
Summary: [AU - Reaper Hina x Human Aya] The Reaper knows all about life and death, but there's a whole lot about humans that she doesn't know. There's a whole lot she doesn't know about herself either. But together with this interesting human, she is quite happy to learn about everything.





	Live

**Author's Note:**

> Originally supposed to be a short entry in my HinaAya drabble series but it grew into this monster, so I'm posting it as a stand alone. I quite enjoyed writing in Hina's POV.

“Come now, time’s a-wastin’~ Ah, I guess it doesn’t really matter anymore, does it?” 

The dazed man blinks at up at her, and then back at the fallen figure by his feet. The elderly man’s expression is twisted in utmost agony, his hands clutching at his chest and forever frozen. She tilts her head and simply hovers beside him. She isn’t patient by any means but she’s been doing this long enough to know that every soul always requires a certain period of time to come into terms that he or she is dead.

“That’s me.” He says quietly.

“That’s you.” She smiles blandly and does not offer comfort to the deceased man’s spirit. 

“I’m dead.”

“Yes you are, glad we got that cleared up,” she shifts a little, the black frayed cloak rustling soundlessly. “Now, shall we?”

“And you are... ?”

At least, this spirit seems mostly in a state of resigned shock, so she wouldn’t have to deal with the very tedious but violent task of subduing emotionally-charged souls. She shrugs, her grin never wavering. “I have many names, but I suppose you mortals call me the Reaper the most.”

He nods slowly and falls silent. The Reaper squints at him up and down, and decides that enough time has passed. The evanescent sensation of the black book thrumming in her cloak’s pocket signifies that she needs to move to the next location to retrieve another spirit of the deceased. She beckons at the man, who follows her obediently like a soulless puppet. Oh the irony.

They hover away from the scene, their translucent silhouettes passing through the walls of the small apartment and out onto the busy streets below. The spirit does not seem bothered by the noise and bustling energy around him, commendable since many deceased become enraged and spiteful at the sight of such bursts of sheer vitality. They continue on in silence, for she’s learned that the dead are never much of conversationalists anyway. Such a waste, there are so many boppin’ things she’d like to learn about the humans.

Soon, they arrive at an inconspicuous location away from civilization that makes the process of ‘passing on’ simple.

Mildly disappointed by how smooth this retrieval is, the Reaper throws her chained scythe into the sky. The blade slices through the dimension and vanishes from the Mortal Realm. The man jolts and recoils away from her, finally an expression of dawned realization and horror. 

The Reaper merely smiles and tugs at the chains until they are taut. “Hmm~ too late, off you go~” 

As if sentient, the end of the chain reaches for the panicking spirit and reels him away. Within a blink of an eye, the spirit has disappeared from the Mortal Realm. Whether he makes a fuss or not in the Nether Realm is not her problem. That’s for the Sentinels to deal with.

She takes out the black book, flipping it open to the crinkled page blemished by burnt marks. That man’s spirit is already secured, as expected of those efficient Sentinels. She looks down on her long list of names to go through. 

It seems like a busy day. 

With a brusque sweep of her cloak, the Reaper fades away into thin air.

* * *

 

=========================

* * *

 

By the time the last soul is (forcefully) yanked into the afterlife, the Reaper sighs at the setting sun. So much for wandering around during the lovely daytime. Truthfully, this job sucks hell, pun intended. It’s so not boppin’ having to deal with overwrought spirits and sometimes explaining to them what this whole process is about. Sure, it has perks such as being able to travel all over the human world, unlike her fellow denizens of the underworld whose responsibilities prevent them from ever having experienced this realm

But still, she wants something exciting!

She sticks out her tongue. Yup, she’d rather die (haha) than being stuck in this cycle of utter tedium, not that her current job isn’t routine either. 

There is so much to explore and humans are so fun! Or, at least, they seem fun. If only she could interact with one of them and chat. Alas, she’s never well-received by the deceased and those alive cannot interact with her. 

Sighing again, the Reaper hovers amongst the sea of crowds moving through intersections. Whenever someone sneezes or shivers at her passing, she couldn’t help but snicker. At least humans aren’t so dumb to be completely ignorant of her presence. While it isn’t unusual that her black book is blank during night time, it also leaves her at a loss as to how to pass the interval until the next name appears. Reapers of other jurisdictions just return to the underworld, but not her! She absolutely cannot stay at one place for prolonged periods, not with all these interesting sights and sounds around her!

She pauses under a huge screen, so bright that she almost couldn’t see what is on it. A petite blonde girl, adorned in shabby clothing, is pleading at a woman to follow her dreams. This is what the mortals call a stage play and it looks like some sort of disk is going to be on sale soon. The Reaper likes TV, because there are always different things to watch and stories to enjoy. 

She lingers for a bit longer to see a tall, fair-haired model promoting a brand of clothes, laughing at the cheerful call of ‘Bushido’ as the advertisement ends. She hovers into an alleyway, sometimes wondering why she is adhering to the mortal laws of physics when she can just pass through the walls to get to the other side. Then again, she’s accidentally stumbled upon things she’d rather not see so following the ways of humans isn’t such a bad idea.

She halts at the upbeat banging of drums and finds herself gravitating towards the music shop. She’s always liked the sound of various instruments. Noise barely exists in the underworld and thus intrigues her like… what is it in human terms? A moth to a flame? 

The bespectacled owner is demonstrating the quality of the drums to potential customers, and the Reaper watches the performance with a grin. That’s so awesome! If only she could play instruments too. Should she try to twirl her chained scythe? Nah, she might accidentally cut the dimension and she certainly doesn’t want to face the Overseer’s wrath again.

Loud cheers catch her attention and, curious, she heads for the source of disturbance.

Hmm? What’s this, new singles on sale?

The Reaper scoots close to a huge group of people from various age range and gender, clamoring outside of another shop. Ah, this pink-haired, marshmallow-like girl. She’s seen this idol a few times on TV. She’s not very good compared to the others but she’s an interesting one alright! 

As she tries to listen in the conversations around her to understand more about this upcoming live, she notices someone else doing the same. She laughs at the sight of this pink idol, wearing a poor disguise of a cap and glasses. She looks off-put that her own fans don’t recognize her when she’s standing amongst them.

Giggling, the Reaper watches the idol’s expressions changing from disbelief, frustration, contemplation and exasperation. She should go into comedy, really!

After a bit of inner debate, the pink-haired girl pouts and slips away from the crowd. 

“Aww, giving up? That’s too bad, I want to see what would actually happen…” The Reaper snickers as she easily trails after the funny human and continues her observation.

This ‘Maruyama Aya’ is very expressive and gives it her all in pretty much everything she does. From getting onto the train and making it home in record time, Aya looks proud of her feats and seems to have thrown the earlier incident from her mind. She lives by herself in an ordinary apartment of semi-convenient distance away from any major transportation stations. Ah, she is an average member of the society whose career is professional idol. 

As Aya moves about her place, the Reaper flops down on the couch in a manner that she’s seen of humans, though she doesn’t really understand it. She pretends to hover as close to the surface as possible and tries not to accidentally fall through the furniture. She looks around in awe, finding the interior quite feminine, with lots of pastel colors but it is obvious that pink is Aya’s favorite. 

There are also a lot of photo frames and posters, of herself and other colleagues. This Aya must be proud of her accomplishments as an idol and, judging from the pictures of her all sweaty during practices, she must treasure how hard she’s worked to get to this point in life too. 

The Reapers tries to imagine being just as passionate at her own task of soul retrieval and is lost. She simply couldn’t understand. Mortal emotions are beyond her but, yikes, just what is this itch in her chest? Is this what… annoyance is? Maybe not quite there yet but close enough. She wants to learn more about this idol and how human life is like!

She knows just the trick to do so. She’ll just have to endure the Overseer’s wrath if she gets found out.

* * *

 

===============================

* * *

 

“Hi human! How do you feel?”

The Reaper grins at the floating spirit in front of her, pleased to see the silhouette whole and glowing without any hint of damage. It took extreme skills to tug a living mortal’s soul out of its body with the chained scythe, and only when the said mortal is in deep sleep. She has never tried it before so she was a teensy bit worried that it might accidentally kill the human, but then again she has never failed in anything.

Everything worked out so why ponder more on the subject?

Maruyama Aya blinks at her and slowly looks down at her translucent hands. Amused, the Reaper glances at the clock on the nightstand and watches the seconds tick by while the spirit glances around her bedroom in utter bewilderment. At the tenth click, the human jolts in realization that she is hovering in midair.

The Reaper isn’t prepared for the high-pitched scream that follows. She winces and pulls down on her hood.

“Is that my body am I out of my body am I dead ohmygod _ ohmygod _ -”

Her lips are contorting comically like the flopping goldfish out of water as shown on ‘Science’ channels. The Reaper hovers closer, earning a sharp squeal.

“No… this isn’t happening…”

“Calm down! I bet you’re wondering if you’ve died or not but nope! I assure you that you’re very much alive~” The Reaper pauses and holds up her hand. “Whoa, stop stop! Don’t back away any more or you’re gonna fall through the wall.”

“Huh?!” Aya freezes like a deer caught in headlight. The Reaper smothers another laugh before pulling off her hood.

“There, not so shadowy and scary anymore right? Now, answer me, how do you feel?”

“Scared? Confused? What is going on?” Aya then lightly hits her fist on her palm. “Oh! This must be a dream. Yes, that must be it.”

“Hmm, I guess it’s sorta a dream, since I can only do this to you when you sleep. I’ll just assume you don’t feel any pain then.”

“Er… pain, not really? Am I supposed to?”

“Nope! This just means I did this correctly!”

“What did you do, exactly-?” Aya glances at her translucent form in confusion again. “And who are you?”

“A passing Reaper.”

At this, Aya’s expression goes slack once more and the spirit plummets like a marionette cut from its line. The Reaper dives forward to catch the human before it falls through the floor and to lord knows where. The phantom sensation of contacting another soul never gets old, creeping and tingly like an itch she couldn’t get rid of, but she keeps a tight hold of the human’s wrist as she tries to keep her afloat.

“Calm down, Aya-chan. Like I said, you’re very much alive and I just want to chat with you that’s all.”

“How do you know my name…and why?” Aya’s eyes are wide like saucers but the Reaper notices a spark of curiosity behind that frightened stare.

“I don’t know, you’re funny. What kind of idol goes incognito to see what the fans think of you? And earlier you were scrolling through that rectangular mini-TV thingy looking at writings about you.”

“I-I was just curious! I’m not the only one who does ego-searches...” Aya blushes and seems to have reached a state of normalcy. The Reaper loosens her hold, which prompts the human to glance at her wrist thoughtfully. “Erm… so you really are… a Grim Reaper? A death god?”

“Something like that, yeah. My job is to retrieve souls after mortals die to make sure they don’t wander or turn into demonic spirits.”

“O-Oh… that sounds important.” There’s a hint of admiration in her tone now. “But you don’t look like a stereotypical Reaper-? Ah I’m sorry, it’s not that I don’t believe you or anything but it’s just that from stories and stuff, Reapers are usually more serious and scary, while you’re kind of chipper… and you look like a girl my age, even.”

“Haha, I don’t know why I look like this but I am what I am! I agree, the others do fit your description. Boring, aren’t they? They need to know to have fun!”

“Erm, fun, such as… I suppose, pulling my soul out of my body to chat?” Aya then mutters a string of incoherent prayers that include phrases like ‘this is just a weird dream’, ‘astral projection’ and ‘watching too many supernatural shows’.

“Yup! I’ve wanted to do this for a long time but seeing you helped me make up my mind! It’s quite boppin’ so far haha~”

Aya smiles hesitantly at her grin. “What d-do I call you then? Um, it’d make me feel better if I can call you something other than Reaper-san.”

The Reaper furrows her brows. No one has ever called her otherwise, except for the Overseer but they don’t meet that often so it takes her a few moments to recall.

“...Hina. Yeah, that’s my name, I think.”

“That’s a cute name, Hina-chan.” Apparently just learning her name relaxes Aya and her smile looks more natural now. “So, uh, what can I do for you?”

“Many things! There are lotsa stuff I want to know. For one, how does this feel?” Hina pokes at Aya’s shoulder, grinning at how the two translucent shapes blur fleetingly upon contact.

“Oh, that feels… very weird, like how you were holding me earlier. Um, it’s like being close to something that you don’t come in contact with but you’re aware of that thing’s presence?” Aya furrows her brows as she struggles to explain. “It’s almost like that moment of resistance before you enter a tub of water…? It also feels cold.”

Wow! That’s a whole lot of brand-new information and comparisons! Even though she doesn’t get any of it! “Aww, I don’t understand the concept of touch, since entities like me just float through things and souls are the only things I can sorta ‘touch’... but I get why you think I feel cold. Look!”

Hina holds up her hand and concentrates. A thin sheet of frost covers her palm while the air above it mists over before vanishing just as quickly as it forms. 

Aya’s eyes widens again. “You can control ice?”

“That’s not it. I don’t control anything - I can just influence the state of things around me because of what I am. I was just channeling the state of the underworld to this human world, that’s all.”

“Huh? By underworld, you mean… hell? Isn’t hell all, fiery?” Aya seems to take her casual reference to the afterlife quite well, though she must be writing off this entire encounter as a dream and thus is able to remain calm.

Hina laughs. “I haven’t met a single human who doesn’t think hell is all raging fire! Nope, the Nether Realm is a cold and dark place, everything freezes over and gosh darn it it’s just so boring!”

“That doesn’t sound nice at all.” Shivering, Aya gazes at Hina with an unreadable emotion in her gaze. “I wouldn’t want to be there either. Okay, I’ll t-try my best to answer anything you’d like to know.”

Hina grins at that. From her observations, she’s already known that this human would help her but it still makes her happy to hear those words. “Awesome! In turn, feel free to ask me anything too! I never got to tell anyone about the underworld without humans going through all sorts of emotional shock.”

Aya presses her lips in a grim line and fidgets. “I can understand their point of view… anyway, I have to ask though - is it really okay for you to be telling me all these things? Isn’t there some sort of rule that we, er, mortals shouldn’t know? What if I tell someone about Reapers and whatnot?”

“Not really? You’re all gonna die one day anyway.” Hina doesn’t know why Aya flinches at that and continues on cheerfully. “No one will believe you if you choose to share what you’ve learned to other humans.”

“Right, they’d think I’m crazy…”

“Besides, I can see that you don’t have friends so,” Hina shrugs and smiles brightly. “I don’t see any problem at all!”

This time, Aya cringes and turns away. Puzzled, Hina trails after the spirit as it floats out of the bedroom and into the living room, coming to a stop in front of the life-sized poster. It appears to be the promotional image of Aya’s debut as a professional idol, judging by the texts at the corner of the glossy paper.

“You’re right, I don’t have any friends,” Aya says so quietly that Hina has to strain to hear her words. “I have acquaintances from work, and I still keep in touch with some of my classmates and kouhais from high school. There’s this nice girl I’m close with from the part-time job I used to have at a fastfood shop too but… they lead their own lives, and I have my own. It’s like my life is running in zigzags and only crossing paths with others briefly and never again.”

What an interesting analogy. “Is it because you’re an idol?”

“I.. guess so,” Aya gives her a small smile, though it seems forced and sad. She looks prettier with a real smile. “I must maintain a distance with fans, and even colleagues. My schedule is sporadic and busy so it’s difficult for me to connect with my acquaintances or even my family. It does get lonely… a lot. Like you do.”

“I’m lonely?” Hina is surprised.

“Aren’t you? I-I don’t want to presume but, from what you’ve told me so far, it doesn’t sound like you have anyone to chat with either,” Aya looks away and stares down at her feet.

Huh. That’s an interesting perspective. “I don’t know what lonely is. I just get bored.”

Aya nods at that and appears lost in thoughts. Deep down, somehow, Hina is aware that ‘loneliness’ is a negative emotion which can intensify to an irreversible scale. Self-inflicted deaths do happen because of such feeling after all. “Hey, why do you continue to be an idol if you’re lonely?”

As Aya turns to face her, she is taken aback by the passion that blazes in the human’s gaze. There is not a single shred of doubt in her mellow yet steely voice. “Because I love being an idol. To be someone who can encourage others, make them smile and see the good in their lives… that’s the kind of idol I’d like to become. While the idol I admire has long retired, I’d like to continue her legacy by doing what she has done for me.”

Hina stares. Isn’t this human supposed to be an average soul? 

Then, why is it radiating like the sun but in a much gentler way?

“I still don’t get it but, hehe, you’re beautiful!” She blinks when Aya’s confident aura deflates abruptly at the comment. Huh, why is she flustered? “I’m glad I’ve picked you, human. I think I can learn a lot from you.”

“T-To be honest, I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this,” Aya gestures helplessly at their translucent silhouettes, “but yes, I think this will be an interesting experience too, Hina-chan.”

“Yup, very boppin’! We can be friends.” Hina doesn’t know what it means but she must have said the right thing because Aya lights up in joy. “Let’s chat some more, Aya-chan!”

Hina holds out her hand, and Aya takes it without any hesitation.

The inexplicable sensation of contact is still itchy, but not as much like the previous times.

It’s nice, even.

* * *

 

===================================

* * *

 

Hina the Reaper has no concept of time. She sees the sun shining in the sky and disappearing beyond the horizon but with so many souls to retrieve and things blurring together, it gets difficult to track just how many days has passed since she first became friends with Maruyama Aya.

But, she does know that they have been talking many times in the dead of the night, just two floating spirits chatting about just everything. Aya is quite friendly and willing to answer whatever Hina asks, though she becomes adorably flustered when it comes to personal questions (why does she like pink underwear? Why does she care about her figure and cup size? Why can’t she eat desserts at night even though she obviously likes them?).

Hina doesn’t understand what food is but the variety of them sure intrigues her. Denizens of the underworld don’t need any sustenance to continue functioning. The human asks very intriguing questions that Hina doesn’t have answers to, but that’s why this is all shooby dooby! Aya is interested in getting to know her more and vice versa, and that’s what matters.

She looks forward to her meetings with this human friend and that drives her to be more efficient in her task of soul retrieval. She can move freely between locations so it isn’t that difficult to match their schedules, except sometimes Aya looks so tired that Hina just lets her sleep.

And she’s inwardly glad that everytime she tells Aya about it, Aya gets upset that she’d rather chat with her than sleep.

Ah, this human is so,  _ so  _ very interesting! 

It could be the aftereffects of becoming captivated by Aya’s colorful life, but the Nether Realm feels more and more tedious every time she returns. She doesn’t know why she has to return in the first place; there’s just this instinctual tug that she has to show face. Does anyone even keep track of the Reapers’ whereabouts? It’s not like they can interfere with mortals anyways, so there shouldn’t be a problem for them to linger in the human world right?

Puzzles. Lots of it. Aya’s questions make her wonder too.

Just as she is about to slice the dimension with her chained scythe and hop to the Mortal Realm, she freezes as a quiet gale brushes past her. Her cloak flutters along the cold wind, joined by the rustling of another cloak. Gulping, she turns around sheepishly and musters the brightest smile in her arsenal. “Onee-chan! Haven’t seen you in a while!”

A mirror image stares back at her, those eerie green eyes foreboding and chilling. They are identical in appearance except for the blue rose pinned to the black cloak, and the stifling demeanor in which the Overseer carries herself. Such austere demeanor is to be expected, for all the Reapers and Sentinels report to the Overseer, who in turn answers only to the Ruler of the Nether Realm.

Hina thinks she should be afraid of the Overseer or, at least, be utterly obedient, but she isn’t and couldn’t for some reason. Sayo is her twin, though neither knows the why and how, just that they  _ are _ . This absolute fact resonates deeply in their existence and thus their relationship differs slightly than everyone else’s. Hina only chats to Sayo the rare times that they do meet up, and Sayo tends to respond minimally, and does not punish her viciously and immediately for any broken rules. 

Although, how long would that remain if the Overseer finds out what the Reaper has been doing? 

“Hina.”

She trembles. Yup, Sayo is displeased.

“You’re becoming attached.” Her voice is soft,  _ dangerous _ . 

“Nah, it’s just a boppin’ thing to hang out with Aya-chan! It’s soooo boring here, Onee-chan, how can you stand it?”

Sayo does not reply for a few moments. Her expression is impenetrable, a perfect icy exterior that Hina could never hope to imitate. “There are always consequences, Hina,  _ always _ . Heed my words.”

Within a blink of an eye, Sayo vanishes from view with the wind. Hina stares at the empty space in front of her for a few moments, unsettled by this itch in the pits of her stomach. The Overseer delivers punishments or messages from the Ruler, but never speaks more than necessary. 

Is that a warning? Of what?

Hina shakes her head. Nothing shall ruin her good mood. 

The black book weighs oddly in her pocket, reminding her that she needs to hurry up to make time to meet Aya later. It’s not like she can rush the retrievals, but she can go to the assigned spot early if only to be efficient.

* * *

 

======================================

* * *

 

“--and then this cat ran up the tree and taunted at the dog,” Hina gestures animatedly with her hands. “It kept barking until its owner dragged it away, haha! She’s so small though, so it’s a wonder that her dog actually listens to her! It could’ve wrestled its way back if it wanted to!”

Aya laughs at her story as they wander through the empty park long past midnight. Hina tries not to bring her to populated places, as even she doesn’t know how a detached but very alive human soul will react to so many mortals. However, Aya seems content with this sort of peace and always lets Hina pick their routes as they catch up on anything that has happened since their last meeting.

The human used to ask questions about the Reaper’s tasks, but it was obvious that the very idea of death troubled her. Her horrified expressions weren’t boppin’ so Hina stopped describing in details how she retrieved souls. Instead, she would share random sights and incidents she’s witnessed of living mortals, and in turn Aya would talk about how her days went. 

Photoshoots, livestreams on this ‘internet’ thingy, and recording new songs and whatnot. Aya does live quite a busy life in a way that it makes sense for her to feel down whenever it is just herself in that empty apartment.

“So? How did the collaboration event go? I was gonna stalk you but I had, ah, jobs elsewhere at the time,” Hina grins and closes their distance so suddenly that their heads are almost touching. 

Aya instinctively backs away and puts up her hands. “Mou, Hina-chan, what did I tell you about personal space? And what else did I say about stalking?”

“... do it?” Hina winks playfully and gets what she wants in response, a cute Aya pout.

“Hina-chan! You said you want to learn about human etiquettes so I’m trying to teach you…”

“Sorry sorry~ You’re just so fun to tease… which, you also taught me, no?” Hina folds her arms behind her head, her smirk widening as Aya places her hands on her hips.

“I explained the concept of jokes and teasing, but I didn’t say to do it on me…” the human shakes her head in exasperation. “Anyway, the collab went really well! The staff is really nice to work with and I got to try on so many pretty outfits!”

“Daww, I wish I could’ve seen you in those, not that your pajama isn’t cute,” Hina twitters at the rather childish fluffy onesie Aya tends to wear to bed. 

The idol blushes and pouts again. “I’m not going to wear day clothes to sleep!”

“I wasn’t suggesting that you should~ It’s not like I haven’t seen you in other outfits. Remember, I’ve dropped by your work place sometimes.”

Aya groans. “I wish I could know whenever you’re around. I always get suspicious whenever a coworker sneezes but I could never be sure.”

“Yeah, that’s too bad. I do enjoy watching you hard at work though~ It’s very inspiring.”

“Y-You think so? I’m glad,” Aya smiles coyly before hesitantly reaching out to touch Hina’s cloak. “Do… Reapers only have this one outfit?”

“Yeah, all denizens of the underworld wear the same thing, except the Overseer has a blue rose and the Sentinels wear masks. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, it’s just that, during work earlier, I saw this outfit which I think would fit you really well,” Aya squirms, embarrassed for some reason. Hina peers at her frayed cloak and shrugs. She doesn’t dislike her attire but it’s true, the lack of color and simplicity aren’t boppin’ at all.

“I’ve never really thought about it… I mean, no one can see me after all.”

“R-right,” Aya looks a little sad at that. “It’s just, I think you look c-cuter in bright colors. They would suit you more.”

“Heh, really? Okay, I’ll see if there’s any way I can change my outfit - whenever I’m off duty of course. Onee-chan will have my head if she gets wind of this.”

“Onee-chan?”

Oh right, she’s never clarified that the Overseer is her twin. As she chatters on and on about what she knows of Sayo, she begins to feel confused about the nature of their relationship. Sisters, meaning they have to be born or come into existence from the same entity right? At least, in humans terms, they would have to have the same mother and are born almost at the same time. 

Alas, human concept does not work on denizens of the underworld. Seeing her confusion, Aya then begins to talk a bit of her own family too. Of nice parents who never pressured her and are supportive of her career. Of a little sister she used to have little spats with when they still lived together. She speaks of them with such fondness that Hina sort of understands what familial bond means. 

Sayo is her twin, and Hina strives to complete any tasks she is given not out of obligation, but just so Sayo wouldn’t get mad. It’s not like she is terrified of the Overseer’s anger, but rather she does not want to disappoint Sayo. She’d like to do Sayo proud. And if there ever comes a time that she can help her twin, she would do her best to achieve that.

“Thanks, Aya-chan! I’m learning so much from you,” Hina decides to go seek out Sayo after she returns to the Nether Realm and ask if there’s anything she can help with. Perhaps being an Overseer is actually busier than she could ever imagine? She doesn’t know.

There’s a whole heck about the two worlds she doesn’t understand in spite of being the bridge between them.

“No, I should be thanking you instead.”

“Huh? For what? I haven’t really taught you much, have I?”

Aya shakes her head and simply gives her a smile. It is soft and pretty, and Hina couldn’t help but return the gesture. 

“Hmm, how about this then? I’ve told you a lot about myself but there’s still a lot that I don’t know about you,” the human gestures at the playground around her. “You’ve said that you’d like to try out many things, such as going on the swings and play instruments, but you couldn’t do any of that because spiritual entities couldn’t touch items of the human world. So, um, what do you like to do then? Other than wandering around?”

Hina thinks hard on that but an answer immediately comes to mind. “I like talking to you.”

Aya blushes. “I-I mean before meeting me. What do you do whenever you’re… off-duty?”

“Oh, huh. That’s…” The Reaper sways to and fro, having a difficult time to recall how things are like prior to meeting this lovely human. Everything just bleeds together in a grey and lifeless blur of utter tedium. She likes the sun. She likes it when the world is bright because it’s the greatest contrast from the Nether Realm. But she likes the night time too due to the one thing that the underworld doesn’t and will never have.

“I like looking at the stars,” Hina says finally. Yes, those captivating twinkling stars in the sky, so far away out of reach in spite of her ability to travel between dimensions. 

“You do? That’s… surprising but at the same time not,” Aya tilts her head and follows her gaze towards the night canvas. “I have the feeling you like shiny and bright things, Hina-chan.”

“I do. Like I said, the underworld is dark and cold and colorless,” Hina gestures at the brightest dot in the sky. “Look! That one is always so boppin’ whenever I look up. Wow, I haven’t done this for a while and I forget how bright it can be! If I remember correctly, that’s what you humans called ‘Sirius’?”

“Sorry I’m not knowledgeable about stars but yes, I think you’re right. So, stargazing?” Aya looks happy and Hina is glad to be the cause even though she doesn’t know the reason. 

“Yup! It used to be my favorite thing to do. I don’t really need to do it anymore though.”

“Eh? How come?”

“I can just look at you!! And,” Hina touches her hand, revelling in the pleasant sensation of contact, “you’re within reach. Sort of.”

Aya opens her mouth but nothing comes out. The Reaper’s always found it hilarious how a spirit can still blush but it certainly happens to her favorite human a lot. 

“... you’re really unfair,” Aya mumbles but smiles. “Tell me more, Hina-chan. I’d like to get into stargazing too.”

“No problem! Let’s get up there - don’t worry, I’ll make sure you don’t fall through like last time haha,” Hina gestures at the top of the monkey bars. Technically they could float way up into the sky as high as possible but Aya isn’t comfortable to be so far off the ground. Spirit or not, she still thinks in human physics so Hina follows her wishes.

Once they’re hover-seated on the bar, Hina starts babbling about the various constellations she’s learned over her long existence as a Reaper. She doesn’t remember when she had gained such knowledge but she’s glad to be able to share it. The fact that Aya is listening to her so intently urges her to speak even more. She even talks about the outlandish images she could see by forming the dots together, prompting a few giggles out of the human. 

“You have quite the imagination, Hina-chan. I would’ve never thought those stars can form a guitar but now I can’t unsee it!” 

“Heheh, glad you can see it too!” The Reaper then smirks playfully. “Now, how about you do the same for me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve just talked a lot about the stars, what you humans call ‘hobby’, so I’d like you to show me yours too. You love being an idol and, while I’ve seen you at work, it’s just not the same.”

“Y-You want me to… perform in front of you?” Just as expected, Aya is flustered but Hina presses on.

“Yeah! Just for me,” Hina pauses and adds. “Please?”

The idol fidgets for a bit and shakes her head. “Sure I can dance and sing for you now but it’s just not the same without the music and the outfit. The experience will be different, you know? I’d rather the performance be at 100%, if it’s for you…”

Though mildly disappointed, Hina is also happy to hear that Aya gives this simple request this much thought. “Daw, that’s too bad, but from everything you’ve told me, I think I understand. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not okay. You’re right, you’ve told me so much and I’d like to do the same for you too. I-If you can, of course, please come to my upcoming live. I wouldn’t be able to see you, but I promise I’ll perform with you in mind.”

“Hehe, I feel special~ You got it, I’ll try to remember the date and time.”

“F-For now though,” Aya clears her throat and takes a deep breath, though such gestures meant for the physical body shouldn’t have any effect on a spirit. “I’ll sing a song for you. U-Um, please continue to look at the stars. I feel nervous if you keep staring… you’re really close.”

“Okay!” Hina nods excitedly and does as she is told. Moments later, a hesitant voice fills the empty playground. It is neither powerful nor lilting like the opera singers or other artists Hina has heard. It is not impressive by any means yet there is a resonating quality that mesmerizes the Reaper. 

_ “From the day you appeared before me _ __   
_ Everything seemed closer to me: _ __   
_ The morning, the light, tears, singing voices _ _   
_ __ You brought me radiance”

Indeed, none of those more talented singers are Maruyama Aya. This human idol is special in her own way, singing so gently and sincerely with her soul.

That in itself is an unique beauty that captivates Hina like the first night they’ve met. 

_ “I'll put my uncontrollable feelings in my voice _ __   
_ To send to your town, far away _ __   
_ If there’s a song like this one there _ _   
_ __ Then we could be linked to one another, wherever we are”

Hina smiles and scoots close, so close that she can  _ feel  _ Aya’s beautiful soul. There’s an unfamiliar yet pleasant warmth in her chest.

She’d like to feel this way forever.

* * *

 

==========================

* * *

 

“Okie-dokie, you’re the last one~”

Hina crouches before the little boy and pats his head even though she knows neither of them can feel anything other than disconcerting phantom brushes. The child peers up at her tearfully.

“W-Where are you taking me?”

“Hmm… I won’t lie, kid, the place I’m taking you isn’t pleasant. But! If you listen to other… adults wearing the same cloak as I am, they’ll take you to a bright place,” the Reaper says as gently as she could. “That bright place will then transport you to an even better place where you won’t feel anything bad. Only good things, I promise.”

“O-Oh… h-how about mama? Would she know where I’m going?”

Hina looks around the playground, watching as other humans form panicked circles around the boy’s corpse. It had been an accident, for the boy had fallen from the monkey bars and landed at an unfortunate angle. The crying woman must be his mother.

“She knows you’ve been a good boy, kid, so she’ll pray that you’re going to a good place, which you are,” the Reaper pauses and pats his head again. “Again, you’ll have to make a brief stop at a dark and cold place first. Once that’s done, you might even be able to see your mama again.”

The Wheel of Reincarnation. The passage of time works very differently in the Nether Realm and even more so at the Wheel. Perhaps by then, the boy’s mother would have died as well and they can reunite there. Or, once reincarnated, they might even see each other again even though they would have no memories of their previous lives.

In this technical aspect though, Hina is telling the truth and the boy seems to have felt that.

After a bit more coaxing, the small spirit obediently follows her from the crowd to the nearby trees. She does the usual dimension slicing and checks that the chains are taut before gingerly wrapping it around the boy.

“Hold on tight. Remember, listen to the other adults with the same cloaks as I wear, and they’ll take you to that bright place, okay?”

“O-Okay. T-Thank you, onee-san.”

Hina smiles and pats the boy’s head one last time before the chained scythe reels him into the underworld.

Sighing, the Reaper stretches and gazes at the sky. It’s sort of cloudy today but still bright enough, a perfect weather for Aya’s performance. It had been difficult for her to keep track of time but she is always conscious of the clocks and calendars whenever she goes on about her task. 

Today is the day, a boppin’ live just for her! She is slightly behind schedule though. So much for arriving early and letting Aya know by making all the staff around her sneeze. She’ll just have to shower her favorite human with praises when they chat later the night. 

Just as she is about to relocate, the black book in her pocket thrums and she groans. Another one? At this rate she won’t be able to attend the concert on time!

Grumbling, she takes it out and nearly drops it at the new name burnt onto the crinkled page.

Maruyama Aya.

What is this? Hina stares at the name like she’s never seen it before. She holds up the page, knowing instinctively what this means but she refuses to acknowledge it. The black book never lies or play pranks. 

It is what it is and the Reaper must go retrieve the soul.

She tries to rip out the page but couldn’t. She tries to cut through it with her scythe but couldn’t. She feels cold all over like she’s still in the Nether Realm, even though she is basked under the minute sunlight. 

Just as the little boy moments ago, and all those countless humans before him, it is Aya’s time to die.

No.

No no no no no.

She clutches at her cloak and lets out a hoarse scream through gritted teeth. With a swift rustle of her cloak, she relocates instantly to the concert venue and sees only chaos. The stage has collapsed and fans are running around in pandemonium. It looks like the lighting equipment and whatever that hangs on the semi-open roof has plummeted onto the podium below.

Right where the performer is supposed to be.

Was this an accident or caused by malicious means? Hina does not know and does not care. She dives through the mess of debris in search of the only human that matters to her. There, buried under the steel beams and broken glass, is the pink-haired idol.

“Aya-chan!  _ Aya-chan _ !!!”

She calls again and again but the dying human gives no response. Of course not, mortals cannot hear her even at the threshold of death. Aya is bleeding out from grievous wounds right in front of her very eyes and there is nothing she can to. The Reaper is here to retrieve her soul to the afterlife, nothing more.

No.

No no no no no.

Hina reaches out with trembling hands and holds them over what she thinks are the most fatal injuries. Through channeling the state of the underworld, the temperature begins to drop and slowly but surely, the bleeding stops. There are thin sheets of ice caked around the bloody mess as she struggles and  _ wills  _ such state to remain. 

She could hear the debris around her shifting and the panicking shouts behind them. Help is coming. She just needs to delay death long enough for mortal medicine to work on Aya. 

She should be able to do at least that much right?

For Aya, for her dear precious human.

“Please…”

_ Please don’t die. _

She doesn’t know how much time has ticked by but the familiar thrum in her pocket snaps her out of her trance. The black book slowly falls out and crumbles into dust under her blurry gaze.

The Reaper sighs in relief and resignation, instinctively understanding what is to come.

But that doesn’t matter. Aya shall live on.

The human whimpers in pain and opens her eyes. Hina meets her dazed look and smiles, knowing that Aya could not see or hear her. 

Even then, she still reaches out to touch Aya’s cheek and whispers. “You must continue to follow your dreams, Aya-chan. Please don’t stop singing and dancing because of this. You can and  _ will  _ recover. Be boppin’ okay? For me?”

Then there’s a terrible sensation around the Reaper and she finds herself yanked back to the cold and dark Nether Realm. She knows what horrendous fate is waiting for her, for abandoning her duties and for interfering with a mortal’s fate.

She just wishes that she could have held Aya in her arms for real, just once.

* * *

 

============================

* * *

 

Pain.

Cold, so cold.

Agony.

Dark, so dark.

Where is she?

Nothing, absolute nothingness.

What is she?

Dark, so devoid of light.

Agony.

Cold, so very cold.

Pain.

There is only pain.

There is only suffering.

There is… nothing.

Nothing...

Nothing…...

……………….

…………

…...

* * *

 

============================

* * *

 

She opens her eyes and stretches her limbs. They seem stiff but should be in working condition soon enough. Her cloak fits her like second skin and the chained scythe feels familiar in her tight grip. 

“Are you fit to work?”

She turns around to find a mirror image of herself staring back at her. The Overseer of the underworld. Sayo. Her twin.

“Yes,” the Reaper replies monotonously, her head slightly dipped in submission. 

“... how are you feeling?”

Puzzled, she looks up to meet Sayo’s gaze and notices several things that don’t seem to match her convoluted memories. The shadows of the hood is covering half of Sayo’s face, and the right side of the cloak is sunken. An empty sleeve flutters forebodingly with the light breeze.

“I don’t understand, Overseer,” she says flatly. “I am ready for work.”

Sayo may have sighed but that’s not possible. The Overseer does not express any emotions. None of the denizens of the underworld does. That’s just the way of things.

“You have finally left the purgatory, Hina. I am concerned of your state of being.”

Hina, is that her name? Purgatory, why was she in there in the first place, and how was she able to leave? Those who have entered are condemned to suffer for all eternity.

_ There are always consequences… _

A faint whisper from a time long lost tickles at the Reaper’s mind but it is immediately dismissed. Irrelevant.

“I am ready for work,” she repeats again. The Overseer seems to close off at that, her demeanor absolute and impenetrable.

“Very well. You may go.”

With a curt nod, the Reaper slices through the dimension and enters the Mortal Realm.

* * *

 

====================================

* * *

 

The humans cry and beg. 

The Reaper drags and forces the scythe to reel them into the afterlife.

The humans grieve and rage and transform into demonic spirits.

The Reaper cuts them down without mercy and tosses the fragments into the underworld.

She is staggeringly efficient at her job no matter what the circumstances are. The cycle repeats countless times until she is recalled to the Nether Realm. Rather than becoming a normal Sentinel, she is placed right at the Wheel of Reincarnation. 

It is the brightest place she has ever seen and she does not like it.

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to wear masks like all other special Sentinels do. She dislikes the dark more than this piercing brightness. 

Compared to the routine nature of soul retrieval, different things happen almost at every moment here at the Wheel. The hunt for demonic spirits in the Mortal Realm is nothing compared to the chaos that is to exterminate the degenerate atrocities that form here. 

Reapers retrieve and send souls of the deceased to the underworld, where Sentinels would receive them and make sure they’re subdued before escorting them to the correct destination. Some are meant to pay for their sins forever in the purgatory, some are meant to wander about as punishment before the Sentinels go retrieve them, while some can even go directly to the Wheel.

Eventually, those wandering spirits would have a chance at life once more at the Wheel, bearing the appearance they hold most pride when they are alive. However, this very junction between the two realms, between life and death, is where the most contradicting of energies clash. Heat and cold. Bliss and rage. Sorrow and joy. Whether it is lingering attachment to the previous life or some other spiteful emotions, such regrets would give birth to monstrous entities.

And it is now her job to destroy them. 

Unlike the transformed demonic spirits in the Mortal Realms that Reapers hunt down and discard into the Nether Realm to reform, these abominations will be forever erased from existence at this stage. 

She is required to be constantly alert and ensure such creatures do not interfere with the process of reincarnation. All these souls have made it this far to have a chance at living again. No pathetic deformations shall disrupt them.

That is the way of life and death. 

There is no middle ground.

She stands still as lines of spirits slowly pass by her towards the circular but mostly blinding shape at the horizon. She does not understand exactly how the Wheel works, but her job is to keep the line going without pause so there is no need to know anything beyond that.

“H-Hina-chan…? Is that you?”

No existence calls her ‘name’, only Sayo the Overseer that one time, and certainly never in this oddly intimate way. The maskless Sentinel turns around to face the soul who has strayed away from the lineup and is approaching her in hesitant steps. Upon meeting her gaze, the human girl flinches like a deer caught in headlights.

Hmm? What an odd description.

Wordlessly, the Sentinel gestures at the lines with her chained scythe. From time to time, souls do stray from the lines, perhaps out of confusion or to look for familiar faces, but never towards her. And certainly, a curt motion would usher them back to where they belong.

But this one is undeterred.

Frilly outfit with pastel ribbons that complements her pink hair. She is obviously scared yet she continues to walk closer.

“It  _ is  _ you! I know you’ve mentioned that your twin looks just like you but, no, I can feel it,” the human clutches her hand in front of her chest, her gaze determined. “You are Hina-chan!”

“Go back, now,” the Sentinel’s voice is soft,  _ dangerous _ . The clink in the chains makes the girl quiver but still, she closes their distance.

“Don’t you remember me, Hina-chan? Maruyama Aya. Y-You saved my life. I should’ve died that day-”

The chained scythe whips out and wraps it tightly around the human, who gasps in fear and shock. The blade is an inch away from her neck.

This isn’t the first time that the Sentinel has decapitated a wayward soul and it wouldn’t be the last. 

“I gave you a warning. Go back to your line.”

“Y-You told me to k-keep doing what I love and I did! I-I tried not be sad, to recover, to be what I aspired to be-” The blade inches closer. “I continued to be an idol I can be proud of, one I’d want you to see-” The blade is now snugly pressed against her neck. “- I have never forgotten you, Hina-chan! Please!”

Really, with a flick of her hand, this human nuisance would have been dealt with. 

Then, why couldn’t she move?

Seemingly encouraged by her hesitation, this ‘Aya’ strains to speak and her voice is firm. “Don’t you remember, Hina-chan? We used to meet up often in the middle of the night. You talked about your tasks as a Reaper and I talked about the human world and myself.”

“Nonsense,” the Sentinel scoffs coldly. “We denizens of the underworld cannot interact with living mortals.”

A wistful smile graces Aya’s features. “That was what you said too, but you broke the norm by tugging my soul out of my body when I was deep asleep. After the initial shock, we… became really good friends.”

Friends. What are those?

“You said you like teasing me, you like the sun and the stars. We were stargazing at the playground, remember? You said… you didn’t need to look at the stars anymore because you could just look at me…”

The Sentinel’s eyes harden in distaste. Sun and stars? What sort of fairytale is this? Granted, she’s heard of much more ludicrous rambling of madmen than this but enough time has passed and she has entertained this foolish mortal more than necessary already.

_ “Abruptly, suddenly, the echoing bell chimed _ _   
_ _ I was impatient, I let my hand go and you were separated from me” _

She jolts. Something thrums in her chest. Unfamiliar yet familiar. This human, she’s singing softly and sorrowfully.

_ “In a daze I called to you, and embraced you _ _   
_ _ ‘Where did you go?’ I’ll protect you with my voice” _

The chains loosen slowly around Aya’s body and the blade falls to the ground. The stars in the sky that form the shape of a guitar. The warmth of their souls so close together, so very soothing.

_ “From the day you appeared before me _ __   
_ Everything seemed closer to me: _ __   
_ The morning, the light, tears, singing voices _ _   
_ __ You brought me radiance”

The human with the funny expressions, passion in her career, the same human buried under the debris at the brink of death, is now singing to her with tears in her eyes.

_ “I'll put my uncontrollable feelings in my voice _ __   
_ To send to your town, far away _ __   
_ If there’s a song like this one there _ _   
_ __ Then we could be linked to one another, wherever we are”

“Aya...chan?”

“I did it, Hina-chan, I’ve lived a wholesome life,” Aya comes to a stop in front of her, her voice cracking. “But I’ve never forgotten you. No one would believe me, but I had lived on and that was proof enough that you were there for me.”

“I…” Hina gazes at her in bewilderment. Her mind is in turmoil, fragments of memories trying to piece together but there is also the pain, the cold and the darkness. “I don’t understand. I don’t know. I-I…”

Aya hugs her tight then. It feels warm, soothing, and  _ right _ .

Like she’s finally come home after a long and strenuous journey.

“Aya-chan…”

“I’m here.”

“Aya-chan, Aya-chan, Aya-chan…”

Hina clings back like a starving child, relishing in the comforting warmth that she never had the chance to feel back then. This scent, this softness, this vibrant energy. 

Maruyama Aya is in her arms and she doesn’t want to let go. 

“I’m not going anywhere, not without you, not again.”

“B-But, you need to go,” Hina sobs and musters all of her willpower to pull away. “You deserve this. I don’t know how long you’ve been here, Aya-chan, but this is your chance at next life.”

Already, she could sense something stirring around her. Perhaps the order is falling apart. Perhaps there are more straying souls now that she is not keeping watch. Perhaps other Sentinels are filling in her task of exterminating the degenerate monsters. 

Time is ticking and soon it would be their turn. She must let go.

“No. If I’m going… you’re coming with me,” Aya says determinedly and pulls her towards the line of souls. 

“Eh? But, I’m…huh? Is that possible?” Hina looks at the other human souls that wordlessly part to give them room to rejoin the formation. She looks down to see that her cloak has remained but it has a lighter, pastel color now. 

She could blend in.

“You never said that denizens of the underworld cannot be reincarnated,” Aya squeezes their intertwined hands. “I’ve been wondering too. Where you all come from, or if you were originally human too.”

“That’s… something I still don’t have answers to,” Hina laughs quietly. “Is it really okay? Can I really go with you…?”

Is she allowed to be happy?

_ Yes _ . There is a soft brush of wind against her ear and she treads on with more confidence. 

_ Thank you, Onee-chan.  _

Hina grins and leans against Aya as the two glowing souls approach the radiant end of the path unimpeded. 

Whether they remain together or be eventually reunited on the other side is a different story but at least, it’ll be another beginning for them. 

A bright future full of endless possibilities.

To live.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to ask me any questions! I look forward to feedback.  
> The song that Aya sang is 'Kanade', a pastel*palettes cover.   
> Also debating on possible companion fic, of Sayo's side of the story.


End file.
